Bobigny (AFP)

The day after a first long day of hearing ended around 23:00, the prosecution pronounces its requisitions on Friday at the trial of Jean-Luc Mélenchon and five other relatives in Bobigny, tried for the incidents enamelled the search of October 2018 to headquarters of LFI.

Prosecuted for "intimidation of a magistrate and a depositary of public authority, rebellion and provocation", Mr. Mélenchon, who claims to be a victim of a "political trial", incurs up to 10 years in prison, a fine of 150,000 euros and 5 years of ineligibility.

The hearing must resume at 9:30 in the criminal court with the pleadings of the lawyers of the 12 civil parties - police and magistrates - before the requisitions of the public prosecutor's office in the afternoon followed by the pleadings of the defense. The judgment will be reserved.

The first day of the trial was marked by the confrontation of the insubordinate leader with Eric Dupond-Moretti, lawyer of several police officers. Mr. Mélenchon recounted his "sense of humiliation" at the time of the search on October 16, and explained his vehemence at the time, including his sentence "The Republic is me", shouted at the figure of a police officer in faction.

He stated that he did not want to oppose the search but simply tried to attend to ensure that the LFI registration file was not removed. "I had the attitude that I considered politically necessary because I thought I was the target of a political attack," explained the boss of the LFI deputies, who defended himself from any physical violence.

The search at the heart of the trial was conducted at the Paris headquarters of LFI in the context of two investigations of the Paris prosecutor's office: the accounts of the 2017 presidential campaign and the conditions of employment of assistants of MEPs from LFI, entrusted since to judges of instruction.

- A police officer "marked" -

Filming live on Facebook a first search of his home, Mr. Mélenchon had first denounced a "huge political police operation" before visiting with relatives at the headquarters of the movement. In front of cameras, he had called his family to "break the door" to enter the premises. He was also seen shaking up a representative of the prosecution, as well as a police officer trying to intervene.

"You do not have all the rights as a public person", reproached to the Insoumis the representative of the Public Ministry. "Here, we are in a court, not in front of the court with placards," also thundered Mr. Dupond-Moretti, referring to dozens of activists who had demonstrated in the morning in front of the building, and criticizing the long political digressions of M Mélenchon.

The five other defendants, including LFI MPs Alexis Corbière and Bastien Lachaud and MEP Manuel Bompard, were then heard, presenting a defense in line with that of their leader. Alexis Corbière thus assumed his attitude during the search: "This way of raising the tone can be soothing," he pleaded.

The day ended with the story of the civil parties. One police officer reported that he was "marked by this event", after which several agents obtained up to seven days of ITT.

Visibly tired at the exit of the audience shortly after 23H00, Jean-Luc Mélenchon said a few words to the media who questioned him and let go: "Who opened the door, who closed the door, who raised the finger, who has spoken loudly, less loudly, too loudly ... You come out of this pantalonnade. "

© 2019 AFP